Violin Bow Technique

“.. Murphy’s filmed demonstrations and explanations are incisive, clear, beautifully recorded and well focused. Murphy has a knack of pinpointing the exact train of thought or muscle instruction that will unlock the secret of a particular bow stroke. After five minutes with his section on sautille bowings I felt a dramatic improvement in my control. … Fintan Murphy’s approach can’t fail to work magic.”

– Catherine Nelson The Strad, Education Focus, p.120, September 2008

Violin Bow Technique

“In this efficiently-packaged DVDROM, Murphy, Head of Strings at Monash University School of Music, Australia, presents a vast amount of information about violin bow technique. The DVDROM contains 130 video clips with CD-quality audio of bowing techniques from the basic holding posture to advanced off the string strokes. A brief glance at the table of contents reveals twelve major sections, each with many sub-sections. The sections are Bowhold, Bowing Fundamentals, Detache, Slurred Bowings, Beginning Clicks, Bouncing Bowings, String Crossing, Chords, Tone Production, Planning and Practice, Integration, and Resources. The DVDROM ends with printable texts and scores. Many of the subsections feature standard etude and repertoire excerpts as material for the bow technique under discussion. The individual video clips are quick and to the point, each lasting usually under a minute. Murphy has isolated the details of each pedagogical segment and seems to have worked closely with the production of the video to ensure that the picture of the technique actually demonstrates the subject under consideration. The later video clips dissect famous moments in the repertoire of bowing. The clips of Murphy reducing the Prelude of Bach’s E Major Partita or the cadenza of Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro to basic open string crossings are interesting and useful to any teacher or performer. In addition to being a highly useful tool for a student or teacher, this collection gives a rare and brilliant glimpse into the sequential thought process of a very good teacher. A student of pedagogy will have a field day here tracing the careful development of bowing technique from an obvious master teacher.”

– Laurie Scott, University of Texas. the Journal of the American String Teacher Association (ASTA), vol 61 no 1, February 2011

Violin Bow Technique

“This DVDROM is devised and played by Fintan Murphy, head of strings at Monash University School of Music in Australia. Murphy states that it can be used by players and teachers of violin and viola at all levels from beginner to professional – a bold claim, but it seems he’s right. The disc offers a comprehensive survey of bow technique, all the way through from finding a good, flexible bow hold through perfecting sautille and spiccato to improving tone production with advanced bowing techniques. Though there’s a daunting amount of information here to be worked on and absorbed – 130 video clips in 11 chapters, plus excerpts from scores – it’s set out clearly, with chapters broken down into short exercises or teaching points, and it’s all very easy to navigate through. The chapter headings themselves give some idea of the scope of the project: Bowhold, String Crossing, Chords, Planning and Practice, Bouncing Bowings, to name just five. And within Bouncing Bowings, to take one example, there are 19 separate exercises, such as ‘Lifting the Bow at the Heel’; ‘Introduction to Reflex Bowings’; ‘Introduction to Sautille’ and so on. The whole thing covers a lot of ground, and Murphy acknowledges his debt to four other pedagogues – Simon Fischer, Sheila Nelson, Kurt Sassmannshaus and Mimi Zweig – in some of the teaching exercises he uses. It does take some browsing to get your bearings, and the presentation style is sometimes quirky. I found the introductory screens to the chapters disconcerting, with lots of dense type in an offputtingly small font size. The video clips of Murphy demonstrating his teaching points are much more effective, and have handy settings for ‘slow motion’; so that you can get to grips with exactly what he’s doing, or ‘repeat’ if you want to keep practising the same exercise. The format of the clips, too, took some getting used to: for some, the spoken text is shown word-for-word on the right of the screen; for others, it’s vital to read the explanatory text before you play the video, though there’s no indication that you should do this. Once you’ve got over these idiosyncrasies, however, it’s invaluable stuff: Murphy’s filmed demonstrations and explanations are incisive, clear, beautifully recorded and well focused. The first couple of chapters, Bowhold and Bowing Fundamentals, offer a really good grounding in the different aspects of what the bowing arm should be doing. The more advanced exercises are equally worthwhile. Murphy has a knack of pinpointing the exact train of thought or muscle instruction that will unlock the secret of a particular bow stroke. After five minutes with his section on sautille bowings I felt a dramatic improvement in my control. The sheer man-hours of learning potential on the disc might seem overwhelming, but taken in small chunks, Fintan Murphy’s approach can’t fail to work magic.”

– Catherine Nelson. The Strad, Education Focus, p.120, September 2008

Violin Bow Technique

“I was so impressed by the clarity, thoroughness and quality of Violin Bow Technique. I think it is a fantastic teaching and learning tool and I will be sure to recommend it widely.” – Daniel Panner, violinist & teacher at The Juilliard School, New York “Violin Bow Technique by master pedagogue Fintan Murphy is a wonderful resource for all violin teachers. From teaching the beginner to hold a bow, through to advanced articulations such as ricochet, Fintan Murphy clearly demonstrates all manner of bowings. Each succinct verbal explanation is reinforced with a demonstration, and a written description that goes into greater depth. The 130 video clips of selected excerpts are very well suited to each demonstrated technique and come primarily from examination requirements, making it even more useful, The DVD-ROM is remarkable for its simplicity of use with clear, visually appropriate backgrounds and headings. An invaluable resource which can be used by both students and teachers, I eagerly await Fintan Murphy’s next project of Violin Technique for the left hand.”

– Melissa Franks, violinist and teacher in Queensland. Stringendo, the Journal of the Australian String Teachers Association (AUSTA), vol 30 no 2, November 2008